Method and apparatus for making jars of hard rubber and similar materials



`fune 2, 1925- l l,539;869 F. T. ROBERTS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING -JARS OF HARD RUBBER AND SIMILARMATERIALS*A Filed April l0,l 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 2, 1925. 1,539,869*

FQ T. RoBERTs METHOD AND' APPARATUS Foa MAKING JARS oF HARD RUBBER- AND vSIMILAR MATERIALS I Filed- .April "1.0. 1922 s sheets-sheet a' June 2, 1925y 1,539,869

F. T. ROBERTS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING JARS OF lHARD RUBBER ANDSIMILAR MATERIALS Filed April 10, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 NWM l vso .Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES FRED THOMAS ROBERTS, or UPPER MONTCLATR, NnwJERsEY, ASSIGNOR To-PARA- 1,539,869 PATENT OFFICE.

MOUNT RUBBER CONSOLIDATED; INC., OF QPHILADELIHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, *IA

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METHODl AND APPARATUS Fon MAKING JARS or HARD RUBBER AND-SIMILAR MATERIALS.

Application led April 10, 1922.` Serial No. 551,279.

To all whom it may concern."

Be. it known that I, F RED THOMAS ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Upper Montclair, -in the county of vPassaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods and Apparatus for Making Jars'of Hard Rubber and Similar Materials, Ofwhich the following is a full, clear,

'and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide for the'rapid and'economical manufacture of rubber jars, lparticularly jars of hard rubber, for instance s uch as may be used for batteries.

In carrying out-my method, I take two sheets of rubber stock suitable for vulcanization ,and pneumatically seat them, in trough forni, in two co-operating molds. I then place in one of the seated rubber troughs members adapted to form the bottoms of a plurality of jars. I then bring the mold membersinto conjunction to form a. closed article, some heat expanding material being placed within the article before joining. I

then vulcanize the article as a closed member and thereafter sever it to provide a plurality of open ended jars of which the in-V serted members constitute the bottoms.

In carrying out my process in the prerality of double units and I then sever these units so that each forms'a pair of open ended jars.

In carrying out my process, I prefer to use sheets of rubber which are-raw, while I use as the bottom members blocks which are cured only sufliciently to make them hold their shapes and which are of such composition that they require forv the completion of their vulcanization substantially the same degree and time of heating as is required by the raw rubber sheets. In making battery jars, the composition of both the sheets and the bottoms is such as'to vulcanize into hard rubber, and the bottoms in this case jecting ribs.

My invention is illustrated in the drawings hereof, and is hereinafter more fully eX- plained in connectionwith these drawings, and the essential novel features are sumf marized in the claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the upper and lower molds, which are duplicates and are used for forming the luncured multiple article; Fig. 2A is a sectional perspective'of the lower formingmold; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the upper and lower forming molds, with the rubber sheets -as originally positioned thereon; Fig. 4 is asimilar view with the'rubber sheets seated by suction; Fig. 5 is a perspective of a semi-,cured rubber insert which constitutes the bottoms of adjacent finished articles; Figg is a plan Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the end shearing device in conjunction with one of the end bottoml members and a seated rubber wall; Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through two of the' coacting forming mold members; Fig. l1 is an enlarged inner end view of the shearing device shown in Fig'. 7; Fig. 12 is a perspective of an uncured multiple article produced by the. molds and members of the preceding figures; Fig. 13 is a vertical transverse section through-two coacting vulcanized molds for the multiple article; Fig. 11i isa perspective of the completely cured article before severance thereof; Fig. 15 is a perspective of the cured article severed into a plurality of duplex articles; Fig. 16 is a perspective of o-neof the duplex articles severed into two units, and Fig. 17 is a larger perspective of one ofthe units, illustrating the final product of the. operation.

In Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, 10 indicates either of the pair of molds,'eaoh having a pair of parallel upstanding'ribs 11 leaving afla-t space 12 between them. The ribs 11 are cut ofi' diagonally at their extreme ends,

or placing an. open faced Compressed Aair `asl illustrated at 13 fora purpose hereinafter describeda Withinl thebase portion of the molds are channels'v 14 which communicate by passagewaysl with the open ended channel provided by the ribs and interven ing mold space.A In the faceof each mold member outside of the rib, I provide a cli'- `cuitous"channel 16,l which, by means of passageways 17, is in communication with the' channel 14. Suitable means, indicated 7 bythe pipe 18, are provided lfor exhausting lthe air from the channel 14, and hence from the space between the ribs and from'the 'surrounding channel 16.

With such an 'apparatus as described, I

lace two sheets of rubber stock (indicated y A i'n Fig. 3) across the faces of the molds, and I thenvv exhaust the lair from the channels and space of the mold, either by means of suction through the pipe 18, or by a pressure higher than atmospheric caused to acton the' faceof the sheets opposite the mold cavities, asl for instance, by placing the molds within `an atmosphere of compressed air, while the pipe 18 leads tothe outside,

chest between the molds. -In either case, I

cause the air pressure within the mold cavi-` tiesto be lower than that outside'the cavities,

whereupon such superior `external pressure seats therubber'stoclnas indicated at -A being pneumatically forced into the clamping groove 16.

Whenv the stock has been seated as described, I place in each end portion a suitable end shearing device; one form of such device is shown in Fig. 7. In this figure, 20

indicates a suitable block havingdowehpins 21 adapted to co-operate with holes 22 (Fig.

2) inthe mold. On the inner end of this block are four shearing strips 24, 25, 26,

26 arranged to form an open rectangularI frame,' as shownin Fig. 11, and havingiin- `clined abutting edges 27. Suitable means, as

leaf springs 28, hold these frame membersin the approximate position shown in Fig.

11 but allow movement thereon When the shearing devices are in position the end members 26 of the frame abut the vertical walls, a1, Fig'. .4, of the'seated rubber stock, the bottom member24 rests on the flat surface-r2 of such stock and the top member25 stands somewhat higher than the distance between the'4 flat surfaces a2 when the mold members are brought together.

lLixfaasea I now place within the lined troughshaped cavity ad'acent-'to the end closures, rubber bottom b ocks 30 which havel flatfaces 31 resting against the faceof the marginal members 24, 25 f and 26 and havemtegral ribs-.32 .extending inwardly Athere-' v from. Y If the apparatusis designed'foL-making `only two ]a'rs at .a time,-Ican proceedto close the molds after placing `the end'. bot tom blocks in the two shearing members 20. However, I consider.. it' prei'e'rablel to. have the apparatus make s everal'j ars at once, and,

to that end, I place 'intermediatelyf inthe lined cavity, one orv more double faced bot- '80 tom members, illustrated at 35. in Figs. i5, and 6. EachY of these double facedfbottom members has an intermediate' portion 37 slightly moreithan twice the thickness of the bottom proper of the jar and suitable intgralribs. v' I 38- on opposite sides thereof. lFig. 6 shows particularlythe apparatusv as used in making four battery jars at a time, and in that case I" use but one ofthe double bottom members, though the number of these may be increased as desired:

Following the placing of the bottom members, I put in each of the cavities between the respective bottom members, a suitabley heat expanding substance, as water or carbonate of ammonia, for instance.' Then 4I bring the two mold members together. In this operation the edges of the ribs 11 come into coaction and join the overlying rubber into aseam and at the same-time shear it 1" ofi', as illustrated in Fig. 10. This same pressure of the mold members toward each other causes the horizontal cutting members 24 and v2 5 to press against the horizontal flat portions ofthe seated stock, so that these mem- 105 bers not only shear through the stock but are bodily forced toward each other by the ap-` proaching molds, and this movement, by reason ofl the inclined end engagement 27, forces outwardly the "vertical members 26 W which shearthe sides of the stock. -v

The result of the above described operation is'that I have produced a completely lclosed article joined by pressure seams and the surplus stock has been sheared off. On V5 separation of the molds` this closed article, which is illustrated in Fig.,12, is then removed and Atransferred to a suitable vulcanizing mold. In this view; A2 designates `the raw rubber walls of the article; a3 the 120i longitudinal'seam thercof,'and 30 and' 35 thecomparatively stiff bottom members.

1^; vulcanizing mold is' illustrated, for instance, in Fig. 13, and comprises two'- mold 'members 40 each having al rectangular cavity therein of half the size-of the article. .A small vent zl1 leads from each cavity to the exterior .to allow the escape of air. I have shown the vulcanizing-mold as made of hollow members .40 to provide spaces 42 into 139 ,between adjacent'bottom members. vdicate the desired location of the said kerfs,

which steam may be admitted through'pipes 43 to supply thevulcanizing he'at. When such heat is supplied the substance within the article expands and furnishes the requi site internal pressure to insure proper'vuleamzation. l

After vulcanization the molds are sepa- `rated and the article appearing as A3 in Fig.

14 is removed therefrom. This article is now sawed apart through the center' of cach of the double bottom members 35 and midway To ingrooves or marks on thevulcanized article,

as indicated at a, a5 @5in this figure..

In the particular illustration given, only one of the double bottom members is employed, and sawing this member apart at a* produces two double articles, as shown at A4 A4 in Fig. 15. Each of these double articles t l of seating 1n the cavities of a pair of molds,

raw rubber sheet stock of a composition suitwhen sawed apart ata,5 producing the pair of jars shown as A*s A5 -in Fig.v 16; one of these jars appearing as the final un-it ,A5 in Fig. 17. j

It will be seen that my method is simple, as is adapted for producing rubber jars withA great rapidity and economy.

I claim l,

1., The methodpof making jars consisting of seating stock in suitable mold members, applying oppositely facing stock thereto to form a plurality o-f jar bottoms, joining such stock to other stock to form a closed'article, curing the. article while closed, and thereafter severing it to produce a plurality of openended jars.`

2. The method of making jars of rubber or similar material, consisting of pneumatieally seating stock in suitable mold members, applying rubber stock thereto to form a jar bottom with upstanding ribsjoining such stock to other stock to form a closedl article, vulcanizing the article while closed, and. thereafter severing it.

3. The method of making jars ofA rubber or similar material, consisting of placing lstock on suitable mold members, seatingthe same by suction, applying other stock thereto to form a plurality of jar bottoms, forming a closed article by bringing the mold members together, vulcanizing the article while closed, and severing it ,between boty toms to produce a plurality of open-ended ars. J 4. The method of making hard rubber jars consisting of pneumatically seating raw rubber stock in suitable mold members, applying partially cured stock thereto to form jar bottoms, forming a closed article by bringing the mold members together, vulcan'zingA the article as a unit while closed, and severing it between bottoms.

. The method'of making hard rubber jars comprising I.seating sheet stock intwo` mold members, each member having a cau-v 4ity corresponding-to longitudinally divided members together to form a complete-unit, vulcanizing the unit inl this condition until it is hard, and finally severing it to vmake a plurality of jars.

6.'. The method of makingV hard rubber jars comprising seating sheet stock by vsuction in two mold members; each member having a cavity corresponding to longitudinally divided'halves of a plurality of jars end vto end, inserting ribbed membersin oneof the lined cavities, inserting heat'expanding material, bringing the mold ymembers together to form a complete unit, vulcanizing the unit by heat in this closed condition to make a hard rubber article, and finally sawing it apart between ribbed members.

7. The method of making jars, consistingy able for vulcanization into hard rubber, applying partially cured rubber blocks to the seated stock adjacent to the two ends thereof, bringing the two mold members together under pressure to form a completely closed article and at the same time shearing'oif the surrounding stock, vulcanizing the `closed article to make a unitary hard member, and thereafter severing it transversely to make a plurality of jars.

8. The method of making'jars, consisting of seating in rectangular cavities of'a pair of molds, raw rubber sheet stock of a composition suitable for vulcanization into hard rubber, eachl cavity having a cutting edge, applying partly cured rubber blocks to the seated stock adjacent to the two ends thereof, inserting heat expanding material, bringing the two mold members together to form a completely closed article and at the same time shearing off the surrounding stock, then Atransferring the closed article to another mold and vulcanizing it as a closed article, and thereafter sawing it transversely to make hard rubber jars.

9. The method of making jars consisting of seating in rectangular cavities of a pair of molds, sheetv stock of a composition suit- 'able lfor vulcanization into hard rubber, each article to another mold and vulcanizing it as a closed article, and thereafter sawing it transversely to make a plurality of jars.

10. The method of making jars of rubber loo j' or 'similar material, consisting of pneumati- Vclosed article and -remove the surplus stock,

cally seating in mold members, stock for the body of the jars, placing on such yseated stock Ain an intermediate location material to form the-bottoms of two jars, bringing the mold-members together to join the closed j varticle and remove the surplus stock, vulcanizing the article while closed, and thereafter severing it.

. 1 1. Themethod'otl making jars of rubber or similar material, consisting ofseating by suction in 4mold members, raw rubber stock` vulcanizing 1 the article while yclosed, and

thereafter severing it in said intermediate region.

12.- The vmethod of ii'iakin,f v hard rubber l battery jars, consistingr ot' pneui'i'iatically seating in mold members, stock tor the body of the jars, lplacing on such seated stock ribbed blocks-to form the bottoms andinternal ribs of the jars, bringing the mold members together to join the closed article' andremove the surplus stock, vulcanizing members, applying to thevsaid 'seated stockJ single bottoms' adjacent to the'ends of the seated stock, and o ne or more double botcle, and severing it through-'the double botthe article while closed and with a suitably caused internalpressure, and thereafter sawing vthe article apart. 4 1

-l 13. The method of making jars oiE rubber, comprising4 seating vplastic stock in `mold members, applying to the said seate'd stockl in an intermediate location one or more double bottoms, bringing the mold members into conjunctionto join the stock, vulcanizing the article, and severing it through the double bottoms. 'i

14. The method of making. jars of rubber, comprising seating plastic stock in mold `toms intermediate of the single bottoms,

bringing the mold members into conjunc tion' to join the stock, vulcanizing the arti-- tomsA and between such bottoms and the single bottoms.

' 15. The method ormaking jars of rubber, comprising pneumatically seating plastic stock in mold members, applying'to such seated stock single bottomsadjacent tothe ends of the seated stock, and one or more double bottoms intermediate of the ends,

bringing the mold members into conjunction to' joinpthe stock, vulcanizing the article as a unit, and severing itthrough the double bottomsand between such bottoms and the single bottoms.

- 16. The-method of making jars of hard rubber,- 'comprising pneumatically seating plastic stock inmold members, applying to the said seated stock single bottoms adjacent comprising lto the 4ends of ltheyseat'ed stockl and one or more double bottoms `intermediate .of the ends, bringing the mold members into con- .junction to join the stock, vulcanizing the. 70

Yarticle to make`a unitary hard rubber member, and sawing such .member apart through lthe double bottoms and between such botstock between ribs on mold members, placing i cutting devices adjacent the'ends of such stock on 'one ofthe moldl members, placing bottom members between the cutting devices, and bringing the mold members into 4conjunction, vulcanizing the article, and severing it into a plurality of'j-ars.

19. The 'method of making rubber jars,

' seating by suction plastic stock between ribs-or'mold members, placing cutting 'devices adjacent the ends of such stock onone ot the mold members, placing bottom members against the inner faces of the cutting devices, bringing other stock into conjunction with the said seated stock, and the bottom members, vulcanizing the article, and 'severing it into a plurality of jars. a, 20. The method of making hard rubber jars, comprisingfseating,rubber stock between ribs'or mold members, placing cuttingdevices adjacent the ends of such stock, placing' rubber bottom members between the cutting devices, bringing other stock into conjunction with the said seated stock and the bottom members, vulcani'zing the article to make a unitary hard rubber member, and severing it into Aa. plurality of jars. i 21. Anapparatus for making jars comprising in combination a two part c avitary mold, means for pneuinatically seating stock in the cavities of the mold, and a-cutting device adapted. to 'be seated within the lined cavities and cut outwardly -in all directionsl when the two parts of the mold are brought together. j

22. The process of making hard rubber battery jars and similar articles, consistingvof sea-ting by section in mold cavities raw rubber Jstock of 'a composition suitable for vulcanization into f hard rubber, 'applying within the seated stock devices adapted tocut outwardly in all directions, applying sui-tablebottoin members of a composition suitable for vulcanization into hard rubber, closingA the article, vulcanizing the -on one of the members devices which are provided with cutting edges `adapted to out.

Aboth horizontally and vertically, then placing inwardly facing bottom members along the inner faces of suchcutting devices, 'then bringing the seated stock in the other mold member into conjunction with the stock described in form seams.

. 24. The process Aof making jars, comprising taking-a pair of mold members, each having a pair of parallel cutting ribs thereon, pneumatically seating plastic stock suitable for vulcanization across such ribs and in contact with the space .between them, then placing within the seated stock on one of the members adjacent to the en ds thereof devices which are provided with cutting edges adapted to cut both horizontally and vertically, then, placing inwardly facing bottom members along the inner faces `of such cutting devices, then bringing the seated stock in the other mold member .into

.conjunction -with the stock described to form se-ams and cutoff thefsurplus stock `by means of the ribs and cutting devices, vul- A canizing the article and severing it.

25. The process of making jars, comprising taking a pair ofinold members, each having a pair of parallel cutting ribs thereon, seating by suction. raw rubber stock acrossl such ribs and in contact with the space between them, then placing within the seated stock on one of the members adjacent to the ends thereof devices` which are provided 'with cutting edges adapted to cut both horizontallyand vertically, then placing inwardly facing bottom members along the inner faces of such cutting devices, then bringing the seated stock in the other mold member into conjunction with the stock described to form'seams and cut off the surplus stock, then transferring the closed article produced 'to another nold and vulcanizing it therein, and thereafter severing the article between the bottoms.

y 26. The process of making jars of hard rubber, comprising taking a pair of mold members, each having a pair of parallel ribs thereon with vertical inner surfaces, pneumatically seating plastic stock suitable for vulcanization into hard rubber across such ribs and in contact with the horizontal space between them, then placing within the seated stock on one of the members adjacent to the ends thereof devices which are provided with cutting edges arranged in a rectangle and adapted to cut both horizontally and vertically, then placing inwardly facing bottommembers along the inner faces of such cutting devices, then bringing the seated stock in the other mold members into conjunction with the stock described to form seams and cut off the surplus stock, then transferring thev closed article produced to another mold and vulcanizing it therein, and thereafter sawing the hard rubber article into parts between the bottoms.

27. The process ofmaking jars, comprising taking a pair of mold members, each having a air of parallel wall-forming vsurfaces seating plastic stock 'against such sur;

faces and in contact with the space between them, then placing within the seated stock` on one of the members devices Awhich are provided with cutting edges adapted to cut both horizontally and vertically, then placing inwardly facing bottom members along the inner faces of such cutting devices, placing within the seated stock one or more double bottom members, then bringing the seated stock in the other member into' conjunction with-the seated stock and bottoms and' cutting edges, and eventually cutting the article into parts througlrtlie double bottoms and between 'the various bottoms.

28.-/ The process of making jars, compris- 'ing taking a pair of mold members, each having a pair of parallel cutting ribs thereon, pneuinatically seating plastic stock suitable for vulcanization across such ribs and in. contact with the space between them, then placing within th'e seated stock in one of the members adjacent to the ends thereof devices which are provided with cutting edges adapted to cut both horizontally and vertically, then placing-inwardly facing bottom members along the inner faces of such cutting devices. placing within the seated stock one or more double bottom members, then vbringingthe sea-ted'stock in the other member into conjunction with the seated stock and bottoms and cutting edges, then vulcanizingl the article with the bottoms in place, and finally cutting the vulcanized article into parts throughvthe double bottoms and between the various bottoms to produce a plurality of open-ended jars.

29. The process of making rubber jars, comprising taking a pair of mold members, each having a pair of parallel cutting ribs thereon, seating by suction rubberstock across such ribs and in contact with the space between them, then placing within the seated stock in one ofthe members adjacent to the ends thereof devices which are provided with cutting edges adapted to cut both horizontally and vertically, then placing inwardly facing bottom members along the inner faces of such cutting device, placing within the seated stock one or more double bottom members, then bringing the and cutting edges, then vulcanizing the article with the bottoms in place, then cutting the vulcanized article into parts through the double bottoms and between the various bottoms to produce a plurality of openended jars.

30. The process of making jars of hard rubber, comprising taking a pair of mold members, eac-h having a pair of parallel ribs thereon, pneumatically seating plastic stock suitable for vlilcanization into hard rubber across such ribs 4and in contact with the space between them, then placing Within the seated stock in one of the members adjacent tothe ends thereof devices which are pro vided with cutting edges adapted to cut both horizontally and vertically, then placing along the inne-r faces of such cutting dcvices bottom members having inwardly fac-A` ing ribs, placin within theseated stock one or more double ottom membershaving ribs on its opposite sides, then bringing the seated stock in the other member 1nto conjunction with the seated stock and bottoms and cutting edges and causing cutting edges of the end cutters to move laterally, then transferring the closed article produced to anvother mold, then vulcanizing the article with the bottoms in place, then cutting the vul-` cooperating cutter having four rectangu-- larly arranged cutting edges, two of them at right angles to the plane of separation 'ofy the mold, and means for causing such' edges to move outwardly when the molds rare closed.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto ax my signature.

ERED THOMAS ROBERTS.V 

